Health

Due to the remoteness of the community and the lack of electricity and clean water providing health care in this area is challenging. We have been supporting the community with a nurse, Florence, and driver Daniel, for several years during which we have collated data on the healthcare needs – see graph below:

Areas of activity:

2 villages now have clean water supply – one through harnessing water from a natural source and the other through using a river locally via sediment tank and piping water to the village. This has transformed the rates of water borne infections as well as helped the women as they no longer need to walk for several kilometers to carry water. They can now more time growing their garden…

the villages are visited on a regular basis to ensure that the children are being kept up to date with the vaccinations and at the same time the opportunity is used to give health education on various topics from clean water, oral health to FGM risks.

the nurse, Florence is very experienced and skilled in coping with emergencies and day to day needs of the community. She has also been trained to carry out extractions and simple fillings, something that is unique in the whole region.

High rates of respiratory infections are thought to be as a result of the use of open indoor stoves. 66% of the lower respiratory infections were in under 5 year olds, as they tend to stay close to their mothers in the huts. We are currently trialing a Maasai alternative design to reduce the indoor smoke and hopefully reduce the respiratory disease burden.